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Anna shook her head and hiccupped. “Be safe, Aslan.” She waved. “I’ve never seen you have fun so...have fun.” Blowing me a kiss, the two of them weaved their way through the many tables and vanished out of the busy restaurant.
“So...” The waitress laughed. “You’ve just been ditched. Told ya that would happen.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Guess you were right.” Passing her the credit card, I said, “Can you charge everything to this card, minus the beef burger and beer that I had? I’ll pay cash for those.”
“Sure. Come up to the till with me, and I’ll ring you up.”
Nodding, I wiped my hands on my napkin, swallowed my last sip of beer, and followed her through the restaurant. The air swirled with heavy scents of grease and sugar. Laughter flowed and voices all blended together, loud thanks to the bare wooden floors and lack of soft furnishings. The ambience was a little lacking, but Jack had been right. The food had been amazing, and I was grateful I’d grown used to being in busy places like this to actually enjoy them.
Normal everyday people didn’t have a clue that I wasn’t papered or permitted. I was one of them. As long as I kept my origins hidden, I could pretend I belonged.
Placing the plates down on a sideboard, the girl guided me to a till where she pressed the screen, called up our table number, and subtracted my food from the Taylors’ tally.
Tapping Jack’s credit card, I put in his pin that I knew for when I ran errands to pick up things for the boat, then passed her a few twenty-dollar bills and accepted my change.
I’d stopped counting how much money Jack had paid me over the past four years. And I’d gotten over my aversion to spending it on myself, but I still didn’t have many reasons to.
Apart from Neri’s yearly birthday gift and a few odds and ends, I hardly went out for a meal and had no one else to spoil.
“Feel free to push off early, Rhea. Tomas just came in, and the kitchen has died down. Rest your feet for your big shift tomorrow.” A large man with a bushy red beard and shaved head held out his hand. “Gimme your apron, and you’re free.”
The waitress shrugged, undid the bow of her black apron, and passed it to him. “Thanks, Charles. Guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
“See ya!” He weaved his way back into the crowd, clicking his fingers at another waiter.
“Rhea, huh?” I shoved my hands into my pockets, wincing as I always did as the spikes of the spiny shell Neri had given me pressed against my thumb. “Pretty name.”
“Thanks.” Undoing her ponytail, she fanned out her hair and planted her hands on her hips. “What’s yours, and what are we doing tonight?”
“Is that your way of saying you still want to get a drink with me?”
“Definitely.” Her eyes narrowed with mock-seriousness. “Don’t tell me you’d rather go and spend the night alone. Your work colleagues are getting lucky tonight. Pity to think of you all on your lonesome.”
I stiffened a little.
Work colleagues?
Jack and Anna were so much more than that. They were the parents of the girl I was in love with. The people who, with one phone call, could change my life forever.
But tonight, I didn’t have to be that person.
Tonight, I could just be...me.
Swallowing my discomfort, I forced a smile. “I suppose one drink couldn’t hurt.”
* * * * *
Neri: How was dinner? Where did you go? Are you on The Fluke?
I gritted my teeth as I waited outside the bar where Rhea and I had shared a drink for the past hour. She’d excused herself to go to the bathroom, and I’d stepped outside to wait for her.
I’d enjoyed the faint buzz I had going on, or I had until Neri’s message pinged.
It pissed me off that she’d asked if I was on The Fluke when she knew damn well that I wasn’t. Just like I knew, thanks to her blinking red dot, that she was still in Port Douglas township.
It took all my self-control not to tell her to get the fuck home. Not to ask what the hell she was doing out so late. But then she’d know I was tracking her. Just like she was tracking me.
Me: Dinner was great. Went to a place called Fins. And no, I’m not on The Fluke.
